Why Art may be Key in Innovation

Innovation is key to the success of any corporation in the modern age. For many companies, however, the question of how to achieve innovation remains a mystery. Companies are approaching innovation by using experienced teams that have been working for many years, consulting experts, and using traditional tools and behaviors similar to those of their competitors. Based on this situation, it is not surprising that there is a struggle to innovate. In fact, these methods may be partially responsible for the lack of innovation. If 62% of millennials regard creativity as the characteristic that will mark out future innovators, and 76% of these same millennials are more likely to report high levels of satisfaction in a creative environment, companies are going to struggle not only with innovation, but also with attracting future talent. We must take a moment to consider new ways to innovate and produce a creative environment. How can we find originality? Who can we work with?

At TheArtian, the answer is artists. Artists are the people who imagine the unimaginable. They truly represent the contemporary culture. Artists make us question what we know and what we do not know. They portray the present through their own experience and create the future as they think it should be. This merging of art and reality is where interesting ideas start to emerge.

At some point in the past, society decided to separate arts from science, engineering, and mathematics. This separation lasted for many years and as a result, many of us grew up in a society that made us choose whether we are right-brained or left-brained; we are not supposed to be both. Yet if we look back to one of the most important periods in human history–the Renaissance — we notice that human beings at that time had not detached art from science, mathematics, philosophy, or engineering. Leaders of the time had actually combined them. If the Renaissance was such a fruitful and successful period in our history, why don’t we view things today with the same perspective? In other words, why not have a renaissance of the Renaissance way of thinking? In order to be competitive in the future, we should — perhaps we must — combine art with engineering, with science, and with innovation.

At TheArtian, we expose business professionals to this way of thinking. We believe that a shift in mindset is required. We do this through what we call “the questioning phase.” Using examples of leaders in the business world that have already integrated art into their lives, we make our listeners wonder: is it the balance between the right brain and the left brain that made this person or company successful? How could I accomplish this balance? Why should I do it? Questions like these help initiate a change in paradigm.

After creating this small crack that allows us to enter, we start developing and teaching methods and tools that are relevant to the innovation process. Our next two articles will show you more about how art can be used in the innovation process — both for teaching skills and for developing new products and services. Do you wonder how to implement this philosophy in your own company? Want to know why you should? Stay tuned for our next articles, check our blog, attend our community events (currently taking place in Madrid and Tel-Aviv — more information on Meetup Page), or contact us directly to learn more.